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[Number45]

Yeah, that's the one. I read that you need them for that quest, but that you can't get them once the Aerie is

Spoiler

destroyed, after you take down Wendy

. I'm past that bit, and saved.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Yeah, that's the one. I read that you need them for that quest, but that you can't get them once the Aerie is

Spoiler

destroyed, after you take down Wendy

. I'm past that bit, and saved.

Spoiler

You could always New Game+ again. It's not far from where you start.

 

[Doomrider]

Do you need the eggs to get some weapon? I think I never completed that quest, and I was able to get all weapons and see all endings... Or am I misunderstanding something here?

 

[Number45]

Bollocks, meant to edit. >_<

 

[Number45]

Do you need the eggs to get some weapon? I think I never completed that quest, and I was able to get all weapons and see all endings... Or am I misunderstanding something here?

You need it for the quest which leads to one of the weapons (can't recall the name of the weapon right now).

Spoiler

You could always New Game+ again. It's not far from where you start.

Actually that's not a bad call. Don't know why I didn't think of that.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

It's what I did.

 

[Clear]

You don't need eggs to get endings C + D, just buy and quest all the weapons, no upgrading required.

 

[Mature]

Someone care to explain how to fish? Whenever I attempt to reel the fish, the HP bar appears for a half second and then I lose it. I'm clearly doing something wrong...

 

[Fishious]

Someone care to explain how to fish? Whenever I attempt to reel the fish, the HP bar appears for a half second and then I lose it. I'm clearly doing something wrong...

The way I understand it is you pull back on the control stick once you get a large bite. From there you pull the control stick in the direction Nier leans. As long as the fish's hp is dropping you're holding it in the right direction. Keep doing this until they run out of hp. Alternatively if a fish keep getting away, but you can at least deal some damage to them press the A button to reel them in. You won't always get the fish this way, but it helps sometimes.

Early on you won't be able to catch many fish as they'll escape before you can do significant damage to them. As you do the fisherman's gambit quests you'll deal more damage thus allowing you to catch bigger fish and catch smaller ones faster. If anyone has a better explanation feel free to correct me.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Someone care to explain how to fish? Whenever I attempt to reel the fish, the HP bar appears for a half second and then I lose it. I'm clearly doing something wrong...

if you're at the part of the game where you JUST got the rod and are trying to get on with the story, good god go to the red X. If you're already done that and just want to learn how to fish in general, then ignore me

 

[Mature]

if you're at the part of the game where you JUST got the rod and are trying to get on with the story, good god go to the red X. If you're already done that and just want to learn how to fish in general, then ignore me

Yeah, I made this mistake. Fishing seems pretty unintuitive, you'd think there'd be a little pendulum-esq scale you'd have to keep in the center like every other fishing game.

 

[ZephyrFate]

Yeah, I made this mistake. Fishing seems pretty unintuitive, you'd think there'd be a little pendulum-esq scale you'd have to keep in the center like every other fishing game.

The fish kind of stands in for that anyway.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

For new players:

Read this after achieving all 4 endings. It provides much greater insight in to the world of NieR and the game itself. Must read.

(Spoiler warning)

Grimoire NieR

 

[Mature]

Fishing oddities aside, I'm really enjoying this game. I'm surprised I didn't hear more about it sooner. It's very quaint for an SE rpg.

Appreciate the scope of the maps I've seen thus far (i'm only a few hours in). That coupled with the music remind me of an MMORPG in a way.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I love the game. One of the best this generation to me. I still hate my past self for not giving it a chance because of what the "journalists" were saying.

Great story, amazing soundtrack, great localization, good stuff all around.

 

[Ventilaator]

Just finished for the first time (As I understand it I'm gonna finish it 3 more times?) and at this point I'd like to say that SCREW EVERY CRITIC EVER.

5/10 my arse, this game is completely amazing. The fact that this game went by so unnoticed is a travesty.

 

[Ledsen]

So I just finished this game, got both A and B endings, then watched C and D on Youtube and read Grimoire Nier. Overall, I'd say this game was good, but not great. The music is fantastic, and the gameplay is serviceable. The sidequests, however, were hideous, and I'm glad I didn't do any of them after the first 3 or 4. The story has some good ideas, and the backstory is cool, but I don't feel much for the characters or the overall story. It didn't live up to the hype, but was absolutely worth playing.

 

[Princess Skittles]

I've been playing this off and on still, I've got Endings A through C and I'm just deciding if I'm ready to take on the task of going for 1000/1000.

 

[Clear]

So I just finished this game, got both A and B endings, then watched C and D on Youtube and read Grimoire Nier. Overall, I'd say this game was good, but not great. The music is fantastic, and the gameplay is serviceable. The sidequests, however, were hideous, and I'm glad I didn't do any of them after the first 3 or 4. The story has some good ideas, and the backstory is cool, but I don't feel much for the characters or the overall story. It didn't live up to the hype, but was absolutely worth playing.

The sidequests in Nier are designed to be dipped into, not slavishly followed to completion - which I think is the trap some people fall into. After all there is no reward for doing (if I remember right) more than ~60% of them.

Many of them can also be painlessly completed by simply visiting NPC's as you move from town to town - its important to understand you can have many open quests at the same time- giving you little extra nuggets of characterization and side-story as well as cash bonuses for very little effort.

Spoiler

The high concept of Nier is that it constantly traps you in moral jeopardy. The protagonist is both hero and villain, and the more noteworthy sidequests follow the same pattern with the Lighthouse Lady chain being a good example. At its conclusion you are basically challenged to knowingly collude in a heinous lie, or "do the right thing" and crush the spirit of a dying old woman by spilling the beans. Its harsh stuff because it relentlessly hammers home the point that "obvious" heroism is a simplistic myth.

This point is a lot more dramatically obvious if you consider the plotting through the lens of the Replicant version. Nier is just a dumb kid who's mistaken idealism basically condemns the human race to destruction! He's so myopically focussed on the heroic myth (saving Yonah) that only when the people around him start dying does he begin to realise the magnitude of his error - by which point the die has been cast...

Because of this, I'd argue that they are important even if they are mostly MMORPG "filler" mechanically. They do speak to the core themes of the main story, and as such are a vital component of Nier's identity as a game overall.

All of which of course leads to the ultimate dilemma of the C/D ending.

Spoiler

Perform a truly selfless act of redemption and accept oblivion, or fail to heed the lessons the game has taught and embrace murder in the name of salvation.

Powerful, provocative, stuff indeed.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

In the second half and still enjoying the story, but it's overstaying its welcome a bit by now.

Anyway, there's a strange bug in the northern plains. The game keeps stuttering, both graphics and sound. I think mainly because there are enemies that fire those outrageous bullet patterns, but it happens even when they aren't on screen. Is there any way around this?

 

[SiegfriedFM]

Finished the game and liked it, but there was no way I was gonna replay again. So I checked out the other endings and Grimoire Nier. Very interesting. I'd love to see another story in this world but that's probably not happening...

 

[Famassu]

There's more to the second playthough than just Ending B...

 

[hydrophilic attack]

It's probably too late, but I just want too add to the discussion at the top of the page that you don't need eagle eggs for the "damaged map" quest to get the weapon and by extension endings C and D. You just need eggplants, which are much easier to get than eagle eggs and not missable after a certain point in the story.

 

[MoogPaul]

Is there any point in me finishing the game if I am utterly not enjoying myself past the

Spoiler

5 year gap. I have the key pieces from the Lost Temple and The Junk Yard

. Is it just more of the same from this point?

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Is there any point in me finishing the game if I am utterly not enjoying myself past the

Spoiler

5 year gap. I have the key pieces from the Lost Temple and The Junk Yard

. Is it just more of the same from this point?

If you don't being spoiled at how much game time you have left then:

Spoiler

you could probably complete it in 2-3 hours from where you are and then last segment is very different.

 

[Ledsen]

There's more to the second playthough than just Ending B...

Most of it is accessible the second you start up the second playthrough though. The rest is mostly fluff that does give you another perspective on certain things but isn't really super necessary.

 

[Alebrije]

So I ended the game and made some research and just want to say I have been playing RPG since NES and NIER is one fo these games that surpases expectatives, Square stop making crap FF games and give more budget to games like NIER.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

So I ended the game and made some research and just want to say I have been playing RPG since NES and NIER is one fo these games that surpases expectatives, Square stop making crap FF games and give more budget to games like NIER.

Have you done playthrough B?

If not then there's plenty more for you to see!

 

[faridmon]

I just bought it yesterday and played for 3 hours now. Damn, the sub system is sort of consfusing.

My first impressiions aren't very impressive, but agan, its only 3 hours.

 

[slaughterking]

Yeah, it's a bit of a slow burner. Give it some more time.

 

[soultron]

Just beat the two golden armour things and got Weiss. I'm starting to lose patience with all of the anime cliches barely two hours in. The music, however, is fantastic, for the most part.

Should I continue playing or does it stay middling the entire way through? The combat has definite potential, but everything else seems bland thus far.

I could be biased because I just finished Bioshock 2 before starting Nier...

 

[1stStrike]

Just beat the two golden armour things and got Weiss. I'm starting to lose patience with all of the anime cliches barely two hours in. The music, however, is fantastic, for the most part.

Should I continue playing or does it stay middling the entire way through? The combat has definite potential, but everything else seems bland thus far.

I could be biased because I just finished Bioshock 2 before starting Nier...

It gets better as you go on. Play up until the half way point in the game (you'll know when you get there) and if you're not hooked by that point then I doubt you'll like the rest. The half way point is where shit gets real and it just gets better from there IMO.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Just beat the two golden armour things and got Weiss. I'm starting to lose patience with all of the anime cliches barely two hours in. The music, however, is fantastic, for the most part.

Should I continue playing or does it stay middling the entire way through? The combat has definite potential, but everything else seems bland thus far.

I could be biased because I just finished Bioshock 2 before starting Nier...

it's a game that definitely gets better as it goes, like said above, the shit just got real moment is coming soon. Music gets better, bosses get better, story gets better.

 

[soultron]

Sounds good. I might put a few more hours into it tonight and see where it takes me. A few questions though:

How long does a barebones playthrough compare to a thorough one?

Do you get to play as Replicant in the NTSC version of the game?

Thanks dudes. I got Nier because I knew it had a strong GAF contingent. I hope I enjoy it as much as you guys seem to have!

 

[0 HP]

Sounds good. I might put a few more hours into it tonight and see where it takes me. A few questions though:

How long does a barebones playthrough compare to a thorough one?

Do you get to play as Replicant in the NTSC version of the game?

Thanks dudes. I got Nier because I knew it had a strong GAF contingent. I hope I enjoy it as much as you guys seem to have!

I would just play it however fast or slow you want. The quests don't really add much to the game, but after you beat it (it's a quick game) you'll probably want to go back and do everything just for the side bits. Play until the end and you'll understand

 

[1stStrike]

Sounds good. I might put a few more hours into it tonight and see where it takes me. A few questions though:

How long does a barebones playthrough compare to a thorough one?

Do you get to play as Replicant in the NTSC version of the game?

Thanks dudes. I got Nier because I knew it had a strong GAF contingent. I hope I enjoy it as much as you guys seem to have!

If you skip all the side quests you can probably get through the game in 10 - 14 hours or so, I guess. I would recommend that you at least do some of them though as some of the side quests have some really interesting twists to them. There's one especially that you MUST do - it involves a lighthouse. Really good story on that one.

Also, as has been said in this thread before, you should do a new game+ after you beat it. It starts you at the 2nd half of the game with all your equipment, but you get bonus dialogue, new cut scenes, and a different side of the story + a new ending.

 

[DeVeAn]

Sounds good. I might put a few more hours into it tonight and see where it takes me. A few questions though:

How long does a barebones playthrough compare to a thorough one?

Do you get to play as Replicant in the NTSC version of the game?

Thanks dudes. I got Nier because I knew it had a strong GAF contingent. I hope I enjoy it as much as you guys seem to have!

Replicant is a DLC pack if I remember right. Totally worth it if you like the game and its is own separate thing too.

 

[1stStrike]

Replicant is a DLC pack if I remember right. Totally worth it if you like the game and its is own separate thing too.

Replicant is the japanese version of the game with this guy in it:

Gestalt has the old (and better IMO) guy that we get outside of Japan.

The DLC lets you play as young Nier, but it's not the same as Replicant.

 

[Ledsen]

Just beat the two golden armour things and got Weiss. I'm starting to lose patience with all of the anime cliches barely two hours in. The music, however, is fantastic, for the most part.

Should I continue playing or does it stay middling the entire way through? The combat has definite potential, but everything else seems bland thus far.

I could be biased because I just finished Bioshock 2 before starting Nier...

I didn't do any sidequests (which I don't regret at all) and i think I finished in about 15 hours. You can then finish your second playthrough in about 2-3 hours. It does get better, but I didn't find it to be some brilliant hidden gem or anything. I liked the gameplay much more than the story, so if you like that than by all means keep going.

 

[patsu]

Just beat the two golden armour things and got Weiss. I'm starting to lose patience with all of the anime cliches barely two hours in. The music, however, is fantastic, for the most part.

Should I continue playing or does it stay middling the entire way through? The combat has definite potential, but everything else seems bland thus far.

I could be biased because I just finished Bioshock 2 before starting Nier...

For me, the story picks up soon after Weiss.

I especially love another city later in the game. You'll know which one when you play the game.

 

[soultron]

Going to the harbour town now. It definitely got better once the quest system opened up and I started to collect words for crafting/augmenting.

The beginning of the game was a definite turn-off though; very slow and plodding. I think I'm too used to Western games these days since they always focusing on a heavily-scripted, whiz-bang intro.

 

[djtiesto]

Just beat the two golden armour things and got Weiss. I'm starting to lose patience with all of the anime cliches barely two hours in. The music, however, is fantastic, for the most part.

Should I continue playing or does it stay middling the entire way through? The combat has definite potential, but everything else seems bland thus far.

I could be biased because I just finished Bioshock 2 before starting Nier...

I really don't remember too much in the way of "anime cliches" in Nier. At this point in time it seems like anything not overly dudebro Bald Space Marine/modern warfare shit is an "anime cliche".

 

[Ledsen]

Going to the harbour town now. It definitely got better once the quest system opened up and I started to collect words for crafting/augmenting.

The beginning of the game was a definite turn-off though; very slow and plodding. I think I'm too used to Western games these days since they always focusing on a heavily-scripted, whiz-bang intro.

Hm, you could craft stuff in the game?

 

[patsu]

Going to the harbour town now. It definitely got better once the quest system opened up and I started to collect words for crafting/augmenting.

The beginning of the game was a definite turn-off though; very slow and plodding. I think I'm too used to Western games these days since they always focusing on a heavily-scripted, whiz-bang intro.

Ha ha, Harbour Town is nice but there is a more charming city later.

The game is interesting in many ways.

 

[patsu]

Hm, you could craft stuff in the game?

Yes, the Runes change the weapon attributes.

 

[jcm]

Every time someone bumps this thred I'm forced to listen to Cold Steel Coffin on youtube. So good.

 

[soultron]

Hm, you could craft stuff in the game?

The words that alter the weapons and magic abilities is pretty much equivalent to crafting/augmenting.

I really don't remember too much in the way of "anime cliches" in Nier. At this point in time it seems like anything not overly dudebro Bald Space Marine/modern warfare shit is an "anime cliche".

Note: the following is my personal opinion and not meant to derail the thread. It's simply an indepth critique as to why I think the story and writing, thus far, are terrible.

Anime, in my mind, is merely a framework within which cool shit happens (Martial arts! Big swords! Boobs! Explosions!) without being very strong in neither narrative or character writing. There are a handful of phenomenal exceptions that we could namedrop, but after spending a lot of time growing up consuming it, it is, for the most part, a barren and shallow medium that I can barely stand these days.

I'd hate to come off as condescending or whatnot to most anime fans (as I'm sure there are some here) but I can't really stomach most Japanese games these days that have writing that's typical of most anime chaff. Once and a while you have a game come along like El Shaddai that has a really intriguing concept and an original story with neat writing -- but even that has some hokey dialogue to go with it. Nier, this far in, seems like a lot of the same old stuff: sick kid that is meek yet defiant; tough chick (well... :lol) who offputting because she really has too much to prove; and even the face of the one character (the one with the round, inanimate face) is a direct rip from the manga/anime Berserk. All in all, the plot and writing seem so paper thin and weak, yet is so overbearing at the same time, so it comes off as a huge blunder not worth paying attention to.

So far, the story isn't batshit insane/terrible to the point where it's hilarious (like Bayonetta, for instance) so I can't really take it seriously.

I'm still very much open to the story/writing improving, but at this point, I'm playing it for its combat and refreshing take on the action RPG genre.

 

[Number45]

You don't need eggs to get endings C + D, just buy and quest all the weapons, no upgrading required.

Hmm, I'm sure I read that that quest leads to a new weapon. I'll have a read now.

 

[JJD]

Finished this game. It was nice, but I don't know if I'll play it again...I kinda wanted to see the new stuff thought, and the real history with the wolfs...

The soundtrack's amazing!

Hmm, I'm sure I read that that quest leads to a new weapon. I'll have a read now.

You don't need the eggs to get all the weapons. I got then all on my first game, no eggs involved.

 

[Clear]

So far, the story isn't batshit insane/terrible to the point where it's hilarious (like Bayonetta, for instance) so I can't really take it seriously.

Keep going. You'll be surprised I think at the directions the story goes in. The opening is very traditional, but it needs to be in order to set ongoing events up. And if (and I hope you will) you persevere through to at least Ending B I think you'll be impressed by the amount of thought and detail that Cavia put in.

For replayers (from the start) the opening third or so of the game is loaded with significant stuff... with hindsight its quite shocking actually.